We Are All One
by Dragonsfire867
Summary: A lost girl is found by Aang and his friends, and she's more than they ever imagined...and her twin is found by a certain lone prince...is there something to them other than meets the eye? There's more than what you see...AxK, taking after Ep. 14...
1. Chapter 1

Hi there! This is a story from the more serious and dark side of me (yeah, I know, it's hard to believe that I have a dark side, but you better believe it!). While I love making funny stories, it's also enjoyable to write a more sober one. Just keep in mind as you read that this is only the beginning, and that the real story comes into play in Chapter 2.This piece is for the more serious reader. Hope you enjoy!

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We Are All One

A young boy sat alone on a high cliff. Thoughts raced through his mind as he absently traced the distinctive blue arrow that marked his forehead. He placed his hand upon the earth and looked along the distant horizon.

For a long time, the boy did not move. He sat motionless with his palms pressed lightly upon the ground, bland face turned toward the setting sun. Knees were pulled inward and he rested his chin on them, while once again lightly fingering the prominent tattoo located upon his brow.

"Aang, are you OK?" A slender girl approached the silent boy and sat down beside him, carefully watching for any sign of a response. She curled up beside him and surveyed the distant sunset. "It's beautiful, isn't it?"

Aang did not answer. He was deep in thought, half-closed eyes still inattentively staring off into the distance. Memories from past experiences grazed his mind, and he hoped for a spark of understanding or comprehension. None came. The boy continued to gaze at the surrounding landscape, though his eyes saw nothing.

"Aang, is something wrong? You've been awfully quiet lately." The girl repeated. Her forehead became creased with concern to see that, once again, he was not listening. She tucked a light wisp of dark hair behind her ear and shifted her vision to the darkening horizon. "Come on, it's getting late. We better head back to camp." The girl held out her hand to the young boy, who tore his view of the horizon to look at her. He smiled slightly, just enough to give an indication that he needed some time alone.

She smiled back. "OK, Aang. Just don't be too late."

Aang watched as the girl sauntered off in the direction of their campsite. He returned to watching the sun as it slowly disappeared beyond the trees, and hugged his knees to his chest.

"_A dangerous task lies ahead."_ The words echoed in Aang's mind._ "Your job as the Avatar is to restore balance to the world." _He tucked his head into his chest. _"By next summer's end…"_

The boy stood up slowly and glanced once more at the ghost of the sunset. He then turned and made his way back to camp, feeling tired and depleted.

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Katara raised her head from what she was doing to see Aang slowly treading back to the area where they set up camp. His shoulders sagged, denoting the fact that he was worn-out and fatigued, and his pace was somewhat sluggish. She rose and walked over to him, and put her hand upon his drooping shoulder.

"Aang, are you feeling OK?"

He looked wearily at her, and gave a faint smile. "Yeah, Katara. It's just that I have a lot of things on my mind right now."

A grin gently tugged at the corners of her mouth. "Well, it's good to know that you're alright. Are you hungry? We have some food." Katara held a bag up and offered its contents to him. "They're moon peaches."

Aang raised a hand and shook his head. "Naw. Where's Sokka? I thought he might've been back by now."

The girl just frowned at the mention of her negligent and immature older brother. "No. Figures, though. He's never been known to keep his word about anything, especially when it has to do with returning back at a certain time." She scowled at the remembrance of her brother's irresponsible actions.

"Well, I'm going to stay up and wait for him. You sure you don't want something to eat?"

"Yeah. I think I'll just go to bed."

Katara watched as he leisurely rolled out his fur blanket and spread it upon the dirt floor, then lied down and fell asleep. She experienced a feeling of pity for the young airbender, knowing how hard it must have been on him to know that the world's fate rested in his hands. She sighed tiredly and sat back down to await the return of her brother, who had been out two hours scouting for food.

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A short while later, a boy with his short brown hair pulled back in a ponytail trudged into view. He collapsed upon the ground and pulled some berries out from the pouch he was carrying, looking rather ravenously at them.

"Good, you're back," Katara mused, standing up to walk over to where her brother was sitting. He glanced up from the small red fruits lying in his palm and looked at her.

"I wasn't very successful in finding any real food, but I did come across a few leechie nuts. He held up his hand and presented the berries to his younger sister. She huffed and crossed her arms, looking aggravated. "What?"

"Sokka, you were supposed to be back here half an hour ago. Can't you ever stick to what you say you'll do?" She said, irritated at his irresponsible behavior.

The boy frowned at her. "Well, I would have been back earlier if you hadn't sent me to search for food in the barest area in the entire forest!"

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Aang had been lying awake ever since Sokka returned to camp. He squeezed his eyes shut against the sound of the bickering siblings, and tried to return to sleep. It was not possible, however, with a troubled mind and two infuriated people quarreling heatedly in the background. He rubbed his eyes wearily and rolled over, hoping to find a more comfortable position to fall asleep in.

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The movement coming from Aang attracted the attention of the two siblings, whose squabble was silenced.

"Aang, are you awake?" Katara asked. She looked over at the boy, who lay turned away from her. He didn't answer, and proceeded to curl himself up into a ball. The girl's face fell, and she lowered her gaze. "I'm sorry if we woke you."

Sokka was wearing a similar expression. He sat back down upon the earth and watched as Aang's lemur snatched the leechie nuts from out of his hand and scurried back up a tree. Momo chirped at him as a thank you for letting him have the berries, and disappeared beneath the red and gold leaves.

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"_I fear war may be upon us, young Avatar." _Aang pulled his knees closer to his chest and tried to forget. _"We need you, Aang."_ Even after Katara had convinced him that everything was happening the way it should, he was still filled with doubt and uncertainty. But he knew one thing; it was he who would determine the world's destiny. He was the one to make everything better. _"The world needs you now. You give people hope."_

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Zuko stood leaning against the side of the ship, narrowed eyes scanning the horizon. His scowl darkened, seeing no sign of the Avatar or his bison, and his stony expression did not change as Iroh strolled up to him.

"Prince Zuko, you should really give your eyes a rest. It's been nearly three days and you haven't put your feet up from hunting the Avatar."

The prince continued to glare at the rising sun. "Uncle, I don't _need_ a break."

The retired general was unfazed by this. "Wearing yourself out like this is not going to do you any good, nor will it bring you the Avatar any faster. I suggest a nice cup of tea and a nap."

Zuko's fierce amber eyes flashed as he turned upon the older man. "I told you before, I don't need a break! If you have nothing better to do than to hound me, then go bother someone else. I don't have time for your petty interruptions!"

Iroh looked to Zuko's face, which wore a fervent mixture of impatience and frustration. His golden eyes were blazing brightly and his lips were curled upward to reveal clenched teeth. The general sighed and walked off, not having the energy to fight his nephew's defiant and headstrong spirit. The prince slouched. He forced his taut and rigid muscles to relax, and once again gazed out into the ocean.

A man strode up to Zuko, wearing a thwarted expression upon his face. "Sir, there is some bad news that General Iroh requested I give you." The boy continued to stare out to sea. "I'm afraid that the Avatar has not been spotted in any area for some time now. We've lost complete track of where he is."

"Lieutenant, how long have you known this?"

"For a while. Your uncle had said to wait a few more days to be sure, but we've had no luck in locating him."

"Thank you for your report."

Lieutenant Gi bowed and sauntered off, somewhat confused as to why the prince had not blown up at him or at least made an excuse to butt heads.

Zuko returned his weary vision to the horizon, and continued to survey the distance in hopes of catching a glimpse of the Avatar. He was not so lucky, but he persistently kept to his undertaking. The prince half-heartedly maintained his tired gaze, still hopeful for sight of the Avatar flying over the sea on his bison. Zuko inattentively fingered the unsightly scar that was branded across his face, and looked far out to the horizon.

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Well, that's it so far! A new character is going to be introduced in the next one, and there's more to her than anyone would ever suspect…Remember, I love reviews; they inspire me to write more! See ya! 


	2. Chapter 2

Hi everyone! I am finally done with this chapter, and proud of it! OK, there are two new characters, and you'll find out about them as you read along. There's a small appearance of the Aang-ish" crush on Katara, but other than that, no romance. Just to warn people who haven't seen the episode The Fortune Teller, there IS a small (yet important) quote and spoiler in this chapter. My advice: don't read this chapter until you've seen the episode (unless you want to, of course). I'll recap on the next chappie for you guys who missed out…

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Chapter 2

"Wakey wakey!" Sokka grinned. Aang turned over in order to hide his tired face from the unusually cheerful boy, but that didn't stop him. "C'mon, Aang! Wake up!"

The airbender turned his bleary-eyed vision upon the jaunty boy, who kept prodding him to get up and moving. He knelt down and hoisted the sleepy Aang over his shoulder. The airbender was immediately awake, and he wriggled out of the older boy's grip and fell rather clumsily onto the ground.

"OK, OK, I'm up!" he said, rubbing his stuffy head. "Why are you in such a good mood?"

Sokka beamed happily and pointed to a large pile of leechie nuts sitting at the base of a tree. "That's why! Breakfast!"

Katara walked up to her older brother, smiling. "Sokka decided to make his lateness up to us by going out and getting food. It's a sign that he's finally growing up." Sokka gave her a dirty look. The expression evaporated and he began grinning again.

"So, are you hungry? Because we have leechie nuts and-"

Sokka's incessant talking was cut short by a loud rustling in the brush. All three turned towards the sound, and Sokka withdrew his boomerang from its sheath. The movement was suddenly silenced, and the travelers were left to look at each other, bemused as to what the noise had come from. As they all began to relax, there was a loud crunching sound coming from the tree under which the leechie nuts were stashed.

A young girl, around the age of ten or eleven, sat enjoying the berries from under the tree. Sokka yelped at the intruder and went tearing up to the base of the tree. "Hey, those are our leechie nuts!"

The little girl looked up from the fruit she was eating and looked at the approaching boy. Her brown hair was neatly plaited on both sides of her head, and there was a hint of freckles from under her bangs. Her bright blue eyes fixed onto Sokka, and she hurriedly stood up. "I'm so sorry!" she gasped. I didn't know that these were yours! I honestly swear, otherwise I wouldn't have taken them."

He stopped in his tracks and surveyed her. She was wearing a scared and sincere emotion upon her face, and looked to be sorry for what she had done unknowingly.

Aang stepped up beside Sokka and also viewed her. The girl was wearing a light blue robe, with a thin brown belt around her middle. Her leather shoes had the style of the Fire Nation, though from the looks of her she was clearly not a firebender. The girl fell to her knees and pleaded. "Please don't hurt me! I only meant to fill my stomach before heading off. It's been days since I've eaten anything substantial."

The airbender took a step towards her. "Who are you?"

The girl looked up at his face. "Someone lost." Her eyes traced his tattoo and she gasped. "You're an airbender. You're the Avatar, aren't you?"

Aang tilted his head. "I meant, who are you? Where are you from?" Sokka then added, "And why are you here?"

She answered, "My name is Lai Sing. I've come looking for my sister. She was taken from our village, and I haven't seen her since."

The boys approached her further, and Aang went to sit down beside her. He looked down to the earth, and said, "Yeah, I'm the Avatar." His vision then turned to her. "Maybe I can help? I'm pretty good at solving people's problems, so…" The girl reached over and hugged him. "Oh, thank you, Avatar!"

Aang gently pushed her away, and rubbed the back of his head. "Hey, no problem! Just…uh, please call me Aang from now on."

Katara, who stood there beside her brother, glanced at the sun's position. It was almost directly overhead, and its rays shone down through the treetops to make speckled splotches over the forest floor. "Aang, we better get going. It's almost noon, and we haven't traveled at all today."

The boy glanced up at her, then up at the sky. "Oh, right! Well, uh, Lai Sing, you're welcome to come with us while you look for your sister. We have plenty of room on Appa!" Aang motioned to the gigantic flying bison standing a few meters away from him. Appa grunted deeply and looked back at Aang, who beamed. "He says he'll be happy to carry you."

As the three travelers loaded up their possessions, Lai Sing was gazing curiously at a small furry animal sitting among the trees. "Oh, what's that?" she asked wonderingly, pointing at Momo. Aang looked up from the sleeping bag he was rolling up and looked to where her finger aimed. "Oh, that's Momo, my winged lemur." At the sound of his name, the lemur glided down from the trees onto Aang's shoulder. "See? He's friendly."

Lai Sing watched the small animal happily, and then helped the others with packing up their belongings. Her slender fingers worked well with tying the various knots that held the bundles in place, and she was done in barely any time at all. She grinned, satisfied with the work she had just completed, and looked upon the others.

Katara looked up from the bag she was tying shut and smiled at Lai Sing. "So, how long have you been around here?"

The girl's face fell slightly, and whispered, "Too long. I've been staying around this forest for weeks, hoping for my sister's return. But she didn't come home, so I went out looking for her." Katara glanced back down. "I'm really sorry."

Lai Sing smiled slightly. "It's OK, you didn't know. I'm sure she's fine. It's just that we've always been together, as one. Now she's gone, and I'm worried."

Sokka loaded up the last bag onto Appa's back, and proclaimed that everything was ready. As soon as everyone was on, Aang gave the command and Appa lifted off the forest floor and into the afternoon sky.

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Aang glanced over at the new girl, who sat with knees dawn up and face downward. She looked exhausted, and was resting her head upon her knees, eyes closed. Her braids hung down lightly and the gentle air played about them as it would with a loose thread.

The boy looked away, and focused his attention on Katara. She sat cross-legged while pouring over maps of the local areas. Her gaze shifted from the scrolls to Aang's watching face, and she smiled. He flashed a grin, and she returned to scanning her maps.

Aang shifted his weight forward, and leaned over so that the floor of the saddle was in view. He gazed into space for some time, and then looked at Momo, who was purring quietly by himself. The little lemur crawled into his lap, and Aang caressed his long ears gently, thinking again about his responsibilities as the Avatar. _"You must defeat the Fire Lord by summer's end…"_

He sighed and rested his chin in his palm. He glanced back over at Katara. She looked up just in time to see Aang staring at her again. "What?" she asked, puzzled.

Aang quickly looked away, blushing. "Oh, uh, nothing." After he was sure that Katara was wrapped up once again in eyeing the maps, he returned to watching her. Her braid hung to the side of her face as she tilted her head on way to get a better view of the scrolls, and his heart fluttered faintly at the sight. He recalled his past attempt at telling her the truth about how he felt, when they had spent a day or so at the fortune teller's village._ "Now that I got you here, uh, there's something I want to tell you. I like you, but more than normal."_ She hadn't been listening, and his effort was made in vain.

Aang took his wishful eyes off of the busy waterbender, and looked off into the distance. The clouds hid the earth from view, but there was a parting in the white layer. A large area was visible through it, and the sunlight shone radiantly upon the beautiful green valley.

Not as beautiful as Katara, though, Aang noted silently as his mind wandered off in thoughts of the Water Tribe girl and the splendor of the day.

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The iron ship shuddered to a halt as it approached the pier. As the other men got off in order to stretch their legs and get supplies, Zuko stayed aboard and looked over the ship's side to the busy marketplace below. He coolly placed a hand upon his forehead and sighed. Capturing the Avatar was going to be harder than ever, and Zuko was having trouble just keeping track of where he went.

"Prince Zuko!" his uncle yelled from below. "You're not going to believe my luck! I found the most delightful appendage for the galley. Come down and see!"

The boy slapped his hand to his face and groaned. Listening to his uncle rant about frivolous nonsense was also becoming hard to bear. He placed his other hand upon the cool steel of the balustrade and made his way down to the marketplace. There, Iroh awaited him happily before showing off a pair of decorated broadswords. Zuko only half-listened as his uncle went on about their "marvelous prices" and the bargains he had made so far, as thinking about the Avatar was much more important.

A crash emitted from nearby and the residents of the market directed their attention to a nearby cart. Sitting among the spilled pile of various items was a girl whose flushed cheeks clearly told that she was responsible for the mess.

"Oops."

The owner of the messy array of trinkets was beet-red. "What have you done! You messed up all my things! You're going to pay for this!" He lifted a hand as if to strike her. Before his hand came in contact with her, he was not knocked off his feet and thrown to the side. Zuko stood between the livid vender and the young girl, positioned so that his back was to the unfortunate mess and its creator. With clenched fists, he roared at the merchant. "You heartless and inhumane FOOL! Hitting an innocent child!" The seller quickly stood up and stumbled away. "If I ever see your face around here again, I'll make you wish you were never born!"

The prince turned around and faced the terrified girl. "And you! You have to be more vigilant, because next time, I may not be around to save you."

The girl turned her bright eyes to his face. "Thank you."

Zuko spun on his heel and made to head back to the ship, but a slender hand placed itself upon his shoulder. "Wait."

Zuko growled and turned back around. "What is it!" he snarled angrily. The young girl pulled her hand away quickly and winced from the unexpected hostility directed toward her. As Zuko saw the expression on her face change to a more fearful one, his temper dissolved a little.

"I wanted to ask who you are," she said, her blue eyes locking onto his scar.

"No one you'd want to know," he said crossly, starting to walk away. She blocked his path.

"I do. That's why I asked." A perplexed expression crossed Zuko's face. "Please, I'd like to know." As the prince began to open his mouth, she stepped back and her forehead creased. "Wait a second. I _do_ know who you are! You're the banished Fire Nation prince!" The girl looked carefully at his face again. "You're Zuko, aren't you?" she inquired.

He let out a breath impatiently and said, "What's it to you?" The girl tilted her head and her brown braids hung to the side.

"I just wanted to know." She held out a hand. "My name's Sing Lai." Zuko looked at her outstretched arm. She then realized that he wasn't about to shake it, and awkwardly put it down. "I'm looking for my sister. Have you seen her?"

"I don't even know what she looks like."

"Like me." Sing Lai motioned to her brown hair and freckles, evidently pointing out that she and her sister were identical. The girl placed her hands on her hips. "So, have you seen her?"

"No."

"Oh." Zuko watched as the girl's curious expression faded and was replaced with a more disappointed one. She hung her head and sighed. "I was hoping that someone would have spotted her by now. You see, we got separated a while ago, and I've been looking for her ever since."

The prince frowned at Sing Lai's cumbersome position. He knew quite well what it was like to lose something.

"Oh, Prince Zuko! I see you've made a friend!" yelled Iroh from a nearby shop. The two turned their heads toward the approaching general. His arms were full of assorted curios, and he was beaming cheerfully. He strolled right up to Sing Lai and pumped her hand merrily. "Ah, it's so nice to know that my nephew has made an acquaintance!"

The girl smiled awkwardly and said, "Uh, sir, I wouldn't exactly consider myself his friend…"

The retired general continued to grin. Zuko looked rather distastefully at his uncle and snorted. "Uncle, I barely know this girl. Why are you making such a big deal of it?"

Iroh glanced at his displeased nephew. "Well, it's rather pleasing to think that you are not picking fights with everyone you come in contact with, Prince Zuko." Zuko scowled, and looked down.

The girl smiled at Iroh. "Well, my name's Sing Lai. I'm looking for my sister, who's been missing for a while now. I thought that perhaps you've seen her?" she asked hopefully. The general shook his head.

"No. But maybe my nephew and I could help you."

Zuko looked at his uncle, who was stroking his beard thoughtfully. He suddenly smiled and put a hand up in the air, obviously sporting an idea. "I know! You can come with us!"

Zuko heard what Iroh said and turned upon him. "Uncle, you can't be serious!"

Sing Lai looked at the two of them and exclaimed happily, "I'd love to!"

Iroh shrugged cheerfully in his nephew's direction. "Well, it's too late to take back the invitation, Prince Zuko! She's coming. Besides, it will be nice to have a girl on the ship for once."

Zuko's fists flared and he stormed off in the direction of his ship. Iroh looked at the young girl, who stood beaming happily. "Oh, thank you, General! This means so much to me!" She hugged the older man, who grinned back in return.

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Zuko angrily strode back to the docks. He was upset, not only because his uncle had invited a girl onto the ship without his permission, but that he had enough problems to deal with already. One more person aboard meant one more person to bother him while he was working. He trod up back up to the deck, where he wrathfully pushed aside one of the men standing there.

"Out of my way!" he spat furiously. The guard looked at him through his helm and stepped aside quickly. The enraged prince then stormed away to his room, where he slammed the door and threw himself upon the bed.

"Aarrgghhhh!"

After a few minutes of ranting heatedly, throwing various possessions at the wall, and pacing around the room, Zuko felt a little more accepting of his uncle's unanticipated offer to the little brown-haired girl. He still didn't approve of it, but after venting his anger upon the limp pillow lying against the wall and the worn Fire Nation carpet, the incident was a little more bearable to consider.

There was a knock at the iron door. "Prince Zuko, may I come in?" Iroh inquired from outside the room. The prince walked over to the door and opened it. There, an embarrassed-looking general stood with his hands behind his back. "I want to apologize for my earlier behavior, Nephew. It was wrong of me to not check with you before inviting someone onto our ship." The older man slowly backed out of the room and walked off.

The prince sat on the edge of his bed. Maybe he had given his uncle a bit of a hard time about letting Sing Lai on. He stood up and strode back up to the deck, where the girl and Iroh awaited him.

Sing Lai looked over at him, and then turned her head towards the docks. Zuko approached her and his uncle. He took a good, hard look at the girl, who lowered her eyes, and then turned toward Iroh. "Uncle."

The general glanced at him. "Yes?" he mused.

"She can stay."

Sing Lai began to smile, and ran over to hug the defeated prince. "Thank you!" she squealed happily. Zuko cringed at the unfamiliar touch and awkwardly removed himself from the girl's tight grasp.

"Just…don't push it."

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Well, I'm not gonna be around this weekend- I have to go to some dumb rehearsal (long story), but I'll update as soon as I get back. Chapter 3 is on it's way, so be aware! Check you guys later!


	3. Chapter 3

For those of you who might not have read the last chapter, Aang and the gang find a mysterious girl, and invite her to join after finding out that she's looking for her sister. She's Lai Sing (my character, no stealing- unless I give permission) and Zuko finds another girl, Sing Lai (also MY character). Aang and everyone get onto Appa and fly away…bla bla bla…we hear about Katara from Aang's point of view (along with the spoilers)…Iroh invites Sing Lai to stay with them while SHE looks to find her sister (no duh who that is), Zuko rants, finally yields to his uncle's proposal…bla bla bla…

Of all the chapters so far, this one's the mushiest. There's a bit of the Aang –inside-the-head-thoughts about Katara, but nothing overdramatic. It's kinda like a continuation the Fortune Teller, if anything. Another new character is introduced, but doesn't play a super-important role. If people like him, I might slip him into a few future chapters…

P.S. I own Kiyo, so don't you guys get any ideas about stealing him either…

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Chapter 3

A small village was visible through the puffy layer of clouds as a flying bison shot from out of the darkening sky towards it. Upon the magnificent animal, the three travelers with their newly acquired passenger were leaning over to get a better view of the settlement below. The night wind whipped around them as the bison descended, and they all looked curiously at the approaching scene.

"Do you think it's safe?" Aang questioned to one in particular as they flew over the village. He, as the rest of them were, was carefully inspecting the area for any signs of the Fire Nation. All that could be seen were a few dozen houses and a large temple at one end.

"I think so," Sokka mumbled, still surveying the village.

"It looks deserted." Lai Sing peered down at the empty bunch of homes. Nothing stirred, there was no movement, and the area looked as if it had been abandoned a while ago.

Appa landed upon the ground and everyone slid off. They had been riding for nearly ten hours, and it felt good to place their feet upon soil once again, whether they were in a uninhabited village or not.

A door slammed nearby. "Someone's here!" Katara exclaimed as they approached the source of the sound. Bits of light filtering out through the holes in the door made it apparent that the house was not empty.

Aang rapped his knuckles against the wood. "Hello? Anyone in there?"

A dead silence followed the knocks. Aang looked back at the other three, who shrugged. "Maybe…they're asleep?"

Sokka shook his head. "If they were asleep, then where did that sound come from? The door couldn't have slammed itself."

Katara walked up to the young airbender and put a hand on his shoulder. "He's right, Aang. Someone, or something, made that noise. We should check it out."

Aang turned around and faced the frame again. He banged his fist against the door again and waited for a response. After a few tense seconds, the wooden barrier opened and a small child's head poked out. "Hello? Who are you?"

"Hi there. Is your…uh, mom or dad home?"

The pudgy face scrunched itself up into what looked like a thinking expression. "Um, I'm not sure, but I'll check." The head vanished back into the house and yelling followed. "Mama? Someone's outside who wants to talk to you!"

A faint echo responded.

The child's high-pitched, squeaky voice was heard again. "OK!"

The door opened slightly again and the little face popped back into view. "My mommy's busy, but you can talk to my brother."

The door creaked on its hinges as it swung open to reveal a young man around the age of 15, with a handsome face and thick brown hair. The boy's bright emerald eyes surveyed the strangers standing on the porch and he hesitated.

"Uh, can I help you?' he asked.

Aang stepped forward from the group. "Hi! We were just looking for a place to rest for the night…"

The boy's green eyes bore down into him. While they made Aang feel like his mind was being x-rayed, they were intriguing and had an air of curiosity about them. "Well, my village would be happy to let you stay for a while." He looked closer at Aang. "You're not Fire Nation, are you?"

Katara approached the rather suspicious boy. "Actually, we have no relation to that country whatsoever. We're just travelers."

"OK, then. My name's Kiyo."

"Nice to meet you!" Katara exclaimed happily. She was grinning at the boy, and Aang felt a small ping of jealousy. She was looking at Kiyo a little too comfortably for Aang to feel at ease.

"Oh!" The boy said suddenly. He had just spotted Appa. "Wow. Is he yours?" he questioned Aang. The airbender nodded. "And who's this?" Kiyo asked, looking at Lai Sing. The girl began to blush. "I'm Lai Sing…I'm not part of the group though, I'm just traveling with them for a while." The boy's expression let it be known that he was confused. "It's a long story."

Kiyo smiled and said, "I guess you can tell me later, then. Well, uh, I better get you set up for the night! It's already late." Kiyo emerged from the doorframe and led the four to a barn behind the house. After pulling the large sliding door aside, a large, spacious room was revealed. Appa followed them all in and immediately began to snack upon one of the various haystacks.

Aang rubbed the back of his head, embarrassed because of Appa's instantly disrespectful behavior. "Um, sorry about that."

Kiyo smiled, showing even, straight teeth. "Hey, that's OK. We have plenty more." He went to go find pallets for the four of them to sleep on. "I'll be right back."

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Lai Sing's blue eyes followed Kiyo as he jogged off to get beds. The boy disappeared around the corner as she sighed happily. That dark, luscious hair, those mesmerizing green eyes, that figure…he was simply amazing. Lai Sing was ready to go off on another tangent about Kiyo's magnificence as he reappeared, carrying four flat pallets.

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"Here you go!" he exclaimed as he dumped the pile of beds onto the ground.

"Oh, do you need help with those?" Lai Sing asked hopefully.

"Actually, I pretty much got them." Lai Sing's face fell as the older boy proceeded to prop up the pallets.

Aang glanced at Katara, who also was watching Kiyo setting up the beds. He felt a quick flash of anger towards the unknowing boy and hid his face from view, to make sure that no one could see his anger or what it was directed toward.

"Aang, are you feeling OK?" the girl asked, taking her eyes off of the busy boy to look at him. Her face showed concern, and Aang's heart softened.

"Yeah. I'm just…tired, I guess."

"I'm worried about you. You've been acting a little weird lately." Her obvious anxiety for him brought him to full attention.

"You're worried about me?" Aang asked.

"Of course!" Katara's eyes were big and round with confusion. "Why wouldn't I be?"

The boy looked back down at the earth and sighed. She was worried because he was her friend. There was no other reason than that, though he desperately wished there were.

"There! Done."

Everyone turned to Kiyo as he bent back up, grinning. The pallets were set up, with blankets and all, and he left for his own bed. Sokka grabbed the nearest bed and Lai Sing pulled the covers down on the one next to him, while Aang and Katara chose the two others that lied next to one another.

-----------------------------

Aang stretched out on the pallet, and glanced over at Katara. She was already half-asleep, a loose strand of dark hair lightly hanging down in front of her face. He closed his eyes with the vision of the sleeping girl next to him, thinking that friendship would be the closest he'd ever be to her. No matter how he might try, she'd never be able to see him as more than the goofy kid who liked to ride wild hog-monkeys and surf on the backs of elephant koi. Just the Avatar. Just a kid.

-----------------------------

Everyone quietly drifted off to sleep as the sun's last rays disappeared from view.

----------------------------------------------------------------

Pounds resounded off of the iron door that sealed Zuko within his room. He listened impatiently for the knocking to die down, though there was no indication of stopping. The irritated prince stormed over to the door and forcefully opened it to reveal the freckled girl.

"What is it?" he asked. Sing Lai beamed up at him.

"Your uncle wants to know whether you'll play a game of Pai Gow with him," she said cheerfully. Zuko glared down at the girl, who continued to grin.

"No!" With that, he slammed the door in her face and walked back to his bed. The knocks commenced again, and the prince scowled darkly. He silently asked himself why he had ever considered letting her onto the ship.

"Come on, Zuko! You can't stay in there forever!"

"I can try," he quietly mumbled. Ever since Sing Lai boarded his ship, she had been nothing but distraction and had made him subject to extreme exasperation. The girl just wouldn't leave him alone!

"Please, just come out!" she begged from the other side of the door. Zuko looked down at the floor. "PLEASE?"

"Oh, OK!" he shouted, striding toward the door and opening it with angry vigor. Sing Lai was standing there, looking pleased that he finally compelled to her wishes. "I'm only coming out because it's the only way to keep you quiet!" He snarled, making sure that she knew he wasn't doing it for her.

"Well, at least you're out," she noted as they walked out to the galley. "You've been hiding in your room for at least three hours. What do you do in there?"

Zuko said under his breath, "Trying to block out the sound of you knocking at my door."

The two strolled over to the small table, where Iroh sat awaiting them. "Finally, Prince Zuko! You've come out from your room!" he exclaimed.

"That's exactly what I said," Sing Lai added. She and Zuko were motioned to sit down on two chairs positioned in front of the general, who looked at his nephew thoughtfully. The game began and the two players fought to win, with their own personal cheerleader on the side.

--------------------------------------------------------------------

He was having a dream.

_Katara's nose crinkled slightly and she laughed as Aang performed yet another miraculous feat upon the great fish's back. He flew off the koi to land gracefully on the beach, hands triumphantly lifted in the air. _

"_Oh, Aang!"_

_She ran over the warm, soft sand and lovingly wrapped her arms around him. He grinned and sighed happily within the comfort of her hug. _

"_Oh, Aang. I couldn't love you any more if I wanted to." She pressed her lips against his reddening cheek and he smiled contentedly._

He was having a dream. But as sure his duty as the Avatar, he was determined to make it a reality.

-----------------------------------------------------------------

The night progressed and Iroh stretched wearily. He had been playing Zuko for the last two hours, and had won four of the six games. As the prince triumphed yet again, the general happily realized that his nephew was improving. Not only that, but Iroh had successfully taken the Avatar off of Zuko's mind for the time being.

He glanced over at the girl, who had worn herself out enough to have fallen asleep in her chair. Her braids were dangling down, and her head rested against her shoulder. The general smiled, remembering when his nephew had been that very same age. It had not been long ago, either, but he had grown up so fast after his banishment. Iroh sighed, and rubbed his head.

--------------------------

Zuko finished off the Pai Gow game, and stood up. It was late, and he needed some sleep, especially after dealing with an overexcited girl all afternoon. It had been a rather hectic day, and he was glad that it was finally over. The prince stood up stiff-legged and stretched, pausing to glance over at the sleeping girl and his uncle, who had already begun to nod off in his seat.

After trodding back to his room, Zuko undressed down to his pants and climbed into bed, exhausted. He rolled onto his back and looked up at the ceiling, reflecting on the day's manic events. What was this girl doing here? Why as she looking for her sister? And who was she?

He turned over onto his stomach and stared at the Fire Nation tapestry on his wall for a short time. No, she wasn't Fire Nation. Zuko didn't even know if she was a bender. But he did know that there was something more to her than he was seeing. Something mysterious and concealed. But whatever it was, it was well hidden at the moment, and all that was left on his mind was the thought of getting a good night's sleep.

* * *

Well, that's Chapter 3! The next one will have more action in it, I promise. No more snoozing business, sorry about that. I just needed to get that part out of my system. Please, people! Review! Otherwise I'll send Kiyo after you! (Though honestly, I'm not even sure whether I should make him a bender or not...) See you 'til next time! 


	4. Chapter 4

Well, Chapter 4 is a bit more action-y, and there is an intense encounter with Zuko, made on Aang's part. No real lovey-dovey stuff happens here (except that Aang gets caught a few times making googly eyes at Katara), and guess what? I made Kiyo a bender! Yay benders!

Anyway, there is also a bit more humor in this one, just to make the light parts a little happier and easy.

Don't forget, this Friday is the new eppie, called The Deserter (Aang learns how to firebend). So be sure to watch!

* * *

Chapter 4

It was a wonderful morning. The birds were singing, Appa was already chewing happily on the edge of Sokka's bed, and everything felt in place for once. Lai Sing opened her eyes to see Kiyo walking around outside the barn, watching the glorious sunrise while levitating a rock over his open palm. She slipped out of the pallet and placed her bare feet upon the earthen floor, and quietly made her way over to him. The others were still asleep, as the girl saw after looking back to them. Aang was drooling all over his pillow, Katara's head was just barely poking out from under the covers, and Sokka was sprawled out over the slobber-drenched bed that was already half-way into Appa's mouth. She smiled slightly and walked over to where Kiyo was standing.

"Morning," she said quietly. The boy turned around and grinned at her.

"Nice day so far, isn't it?" he asked cheerfully. The sun was peeking out from the horizon, and the sky was turning a light pink-peach color.

"Yeah." The movement of the rock caught Lai Sing's eye. "You're a bender?"

Kiyo turned to her. "Yep. Inherited it from my mother's side." He stared out at the growing horizon. "So, why are you traveling? You never told me the story."

Lai Sing continued to watch the rising sun. "Well…let's just say that I'm looking for my sister."

"Sister?"

"Yeah. I guess you could call us identical."

Kiyo looked at her curiously. "You have a twin?"

The girl tilted her head. "Well…uh, not really."

"Huh? Then how can you be identical?"

Lai Sing turned her head back towards the horizon. She sighed quietly and made it clear that she didn't want to explain herself. "I told you already; it's kind of a long story."

"Tell me."

The girl whirled around to face Kiyo. "I told you already- NO!"

Kiyo was taken aback from the sudden hostile and aggressive behavior that was directed toward him. He looked to see that Lai Sing was wearing an unidentifiable expression on her face, but it was obvious that there was something she wasn't telling, or wasn't willing to. The boy lowered his head and gave up trying to get her to explain.

"Hi guys!"

Both turned to see Aang cheerfully walking up to greet them. He was wearing his trademark grin, and looked as if he had a great night's sleep.

"Sooooo. What'cha guys talking about?"

Lai Sing mumbled irately. "Nothing."

Aang glanced from one person to the other. The girl was looking quite cross, and Kiyo was still white from the unexpected outburst. "Uh, is there something going on that I should know about?" he asked.

"No."

The young airbender had his doubts, but knew not to press the matter further. He waltzed back to where Katara and Sokka were sleeping, and began to pack up his things. Something was up, and he knew it. The problem was, Aang didn't have any way of finding out what. Neither of the two seemed willing to talk. Just then, the far-off sound of a furious and immensely disgusted Sokka erupted from within the barn.

"Eeewwwwww! _Bison slobber_!"

--------------------------

After the last of their belongings were packed up, the gang climbed upon Appa and waved at Kiyo, who stood watching them.

"Thanks for everything!" Katara shouted to him. He raised a hand in response.

"My pleasure." He started to turn away. "And, uh, Lai Sing?"

She swiveled her head around and looked blankly at him.

Kiyo looked down at the ground, and let his eyes trace the trail of rocks and dirt lying near his feet. "I really do hope you find your sister."

"Thanks."

With that, Appa rose from the ground, sending a dry pile of dust flying upward. Kiyo watched as the bison flew up and out of view.

‹-------------------------------------›

Katara looked curiously at Lai Sing, who sat watching the view of the earthbender fade away. She seemed to be oddly silent and troubled. Katara tilted her head and asked, "Lai Sing, are you OK? You've been awfully quiet lately."

Lai Sing raised her own head and looked Katara in the air, eyebrows raised. "Naw, I'm fine! I'm just…uh, thinking…about some things. Really."

The waterbender shrugged her shoulders and let out a breath. "Well, uh, OK. I just wanted to make sure." She watched as Lai Sing once again returned her view to the distance, and then looked over her shoulder at Aang, who she found eyeing her rather vacantly once again.

"Aang…" Katara mused. "You're staring at me again…"

The young airbender suddenly straightened up as if he had been totally unaware of it. "Oh, uh, I was?" He then sheepishly rubbed the back of his head, blushing slightly. "Hehe. Oops."

Hm, Katara pondered. I keep seem to catch him doing that. Wonder if he's feeling OK, too. She glanced back at Aang, who sat holding Appa's reins and looking out to the direction they were headed. He looked perfectly fine and peaceful, with nothing bothering him.

Oh well, she thought. I guess I'm just going to have to get used to that awkward silence. It's-

"Hey!" Sokka exclaimed, standing up. He started digging in the group bag furiously with a determined and resolute expression pasted across his face.

"Sokka, sit down! Remember the last time you stood up and we told you not to?"

With that, he plopped himself rather forcefully upon Appa's saddle and persisted with searching thought the bag's contents. "I can't believe it! Where'd my bag of nuts go?"

Aang turned around to look at him while Katara and Lai Sing stared. "What bag?"

Sokka glared up at him and then quickly back down to the bag. "What do you mean, 'what bag'? The one we keep the nuts in!"

Katara's eyes wandered over to Aang, who s face was twisted up in concentration. He then opened his mouth, shut it, and reopened it again. "Didn't you have that last night?"

"Yeah, I did! I was carrying it when we got ready to go to sleep, and then I placed it on the bed, which means…" A strange, wide-eyed expression crossed his features as all turned to stare at the giant fluffy bison. "…it's in Appa's stomach."

---------------------------------------

Zuko clipped his hands over his ears to drown out the sound of the repetitive knocks raining against his door. After a full day of having to put up with Sing Lai's insistent banging upon the only barrier separating him from the world, Zuko's patience was wearing dangerously thin.

He stamped furiously over to the door and swung it open with such a force that it crashed against the side of his room, and resonated with a powerful boom that ricocheted off the walls of the dimly lit hallway.

"_WHAT_?" the enraged prince thundered.

Sing Lai merely smiled at him. "Hi," she said, curling the tips of her fingers in a waving motion. She then realized that he was a little more than annoyed at her behavior. "Why are you breathing so hard?"

Sure enough, Zuko's chest was rising and falling with such rapidity that he looked more than ready to blast her into infinity. "You came and knocked on my door for_ SEVEN HOURS STRAIGHT BECAUSE YOU WANTED TO SAY HI?"_

Sing Lai nodded her head happily, braids swinging vigorously. "Yup!"

Torrents of blazing flame erupted from Zuko's clenched fists as he roared for the nearest guard to take custody of her and throw her in her room. The awaiting, and slightly perturbed, soldier rushed over and took the young girl by the shoulder, leading her away from the flaming prince.

Iroh, peering around the corner, just caught a glimpse of the prince as he stormed swiftly back into his room and as the thunderous sound of a door slamming echoed once again throughout the hall.

--------------------

"AARRRGGGHHHHHH!" With that, Zuko threw himself upon the bed and buried his aching head in his pillow. He swore that if he ever got the chance to go back to the day that he met Sing Lai, he would have just scared off the merchant and thrown her and her petty questioning aside like an unwanted piece of broccoli on a child's plate. Nothing, _nothing,_ was worth this amount of agony.

One single knock made its presence upon the already battered door, and the metal hinges creaked as a head was thrust through the opening. Zuko blew hot air through his teeth forcefully and lifted his head to see who had entered. Iroh gazed out from the crack and mentioned that a sighting of the Avatar had been made just recently. Zuko stared at the general for a moment, then slid from the bed.

"Tell the guards to keep a close eye on the Avatar's positioning. I _don't_ want to lose him."

The door quickly shut as the general's head disappeared from sight. The Fire Nation prince stood up straight with determination glinting in his amber eyes. Finally. Something to take his anger out upon. Something to rid Sing Lai and her awful annoyances from his mind. _Nothing was going to stop him now._

-----------------------------------------

"Hey, isn't that Zuko's ship?" Aang noted as they flew over the water. Everyone leaned over to get a closer view as the prince's ship did indeed appear below them.

"Aang, we have to get out of here, now!" Sokka exclaimed. Aang pulled hard on the reins as Appa shot farther ahead of the approaching vessel. A gasp came from the saddle, and he looked back to see what created the sound. Lai Sing was sitting there, pale and wide-eyed. "What's wrong?" he said, worried. She gasped once again and clasped the side of Appa's saddle with a trembling hand.

"My sister. I – I feel her. She's near. Very near." Everyone, including Momo, turned to look at the girl.

Sokka's eyebrows pinched together. "What do you mean, you 'feel her'?" he asked suspiciously. Something funny was going on. Everyone sitting there could sense it.

The girl shook her head. "I can…I can tell she's close by." Lai Sing evidently was covering up something that she wasn't saying.

Suddenly, from out of nowhere, a massive flaming ball of putrid odors and earth came shooting up and glanced off of Appa's hide. The fur burst into flame, and he roared painfully while Aang tried to create a wind strong enough to put the searing hot fire out.

--------------------------------

Zuko strode briskly from one side of the deck to the other as three of his men got ready to launch another ball of the reeking rock.

"Ready, men…" They all waited as the ship flew directly underneath the already declining bison. "…Fire!"

The catapult launched the burning mass and it hurtled toward the large animal.

--------------------------------

"Appa!" Aang shouted as the bison took another tremendous hit. The entire belly of the animal guide was blazing with flame, and his descent slowly progressed. Appa started flying directly to the water, probably to purge the blistering heat. He crashed into the salty water and sent up a spray of salty mist.

--------------------------------

"Finally," Zuko said with satisfaction. The stupid beast had finally been defeated, and the Avatar and his daft friends were stranded, not even 50 feet from the prince's ship. "Keep going towards the Avatar!" he shouted up toward the galley. The helmsman nodded in response, and the ship continued to progress toward the fallen bison and his riders.

--------------------------------

"No! No no NO!" Aang hollered, slamming his fists down upon Appa's saddle. The guide grunted exhaustedly in response, and Katara put a hand on Aang's shoulder. The monk slapped a hand to his face, upset. "What are we going to do now? Appa's hurt, and even if I was able to fly you all back to land, we'd be leaving Appa behind."

The waterbenders worried face told that she did not have a solution. Aang sighed, wearing an apprehensive expression. "We're going to have to fight him. We're stuck."

--------------------------------

The corners of Zuko's mouth lifted into a dark smile as they approached the sight. He raised his hand to his soldiers, who all watched carefully for him to give the sign to attack.

"Wait until I give the signal. We don't want any mistakes this time." Just as the ship halted next to Appa, the prince rammed his hand down upon the steel. "Go!"

He watched as a blast of fire came exploding from his men's waiting fists and towards the Avatar.

--------------------------------

Lai Sing drew her breath in sharply at the sight of the huge flames leaping hungrily at the group. Katara sat paralyzed, Sokka pulled back as far as he could, and Momo screeched loudly.

Aang flew upwards to meet the attack with staff in hand. Sweeping the wooden pole in one hand, he created a fantastic arc that sliced through the flames and demolished them in a single blow. The airbender shot himself up and out, towards the waiting ship.

"Aang, don't!" Katara yelled as he rocketed off of Appa's back and into the mass of firebenders. "You can't do this alone!"

As he flew over the water below and away from the injured bison, he hollered back, "Stay with Appa! I know what I'm doing!"

--------------------------------

The sight of the approaching Avatar made Zuko almost leap in the air. His adrenaline level shot up drastically, and his breathing became shallow and quick.

Finally! He thought. I will be able to regain my honor once and for all. With the thought of the nearing prize in mind, the avid prince created a curving bow of fire and launched it toward the Avatar. The boy used his staff and pole-vaulted over the wide attack.

Tucking the pole between his legs and twisting his hands in a whirlwind-shaped motion, Aang created a flurry that knocked Zuko onto the steel ground. The agitated prince quickly jumped back to his feet and slammed his foot down hard upon the floor. Hot flames sprang from his boot and leapt for the Avatar's ankles.

"Agh-" Aang breathed quickly while propelling himself up and over the inferno below. With all the power he could muster, he spun around and swung the staff towards the prince. A powerful force of air exploded from the staff's movement and sent Zuko flying to the other side of the deck, smashing him against the steel barrier lining the ship.

"Ughhh…" Zuko groaned, trying to stand up after the overwhelming attack. He staggered to his feet and yelled for the crew to attack the Avatar from all angles.

Surrounded by firebenders, Aang couldn't help but feel slightly alone. The young airbender rotated swiftly while bending his arms, creating a colossal wind shield from the oncoming fire balls. Then, twisting his body in such a way as to create a small cyclone to distract and confuse the Fire Nation soldiers, he gathered up all of his strength and formed a thick ball of air. The air mass expanded, and demolished every obstacle coming his way. While blowing off the fire, it knocked most of the crew off their feet and the rest flipping head over heels into the water below.

"Get up!" Zuko snarled at the sprawled firebenders. "Don't let him get away!" He rushed over and immediately hurled a large fire ball at the Avatar's head. He easily dodged it, but narrowly escaped the next one.

"Aang!" Katara yelled from over the water. "Let's get going!"

The shouting had distracted the Avatar, and Zuko seized the chance to send a white-hot arc of flame heading his way. Aang looked just in time to see the wrathful blaze of fire sweeping towards him, and he impelled himself off the ship's deck and back towards the bison.

Aang shot over the water, away from the infuriated prince and his insane line of firebenders. He formed a bubble beneath him, and glided back over to Appa and the rest. The airbender positioned himself behind the animal guide's head, who looked quite refreshed after dousing his belly-flames in water.

"Appa, boy, do you think you can do this?" he asked, glancing down at the shaggy head hurriedly. The bison grunted in response, which sounded much like a yes.

"OK, then. Yip yip!"

--------------------------------

The animal slowly rose out of the water, only to pass directly in front of Zuko's ship. The prince made ready to shoot another fireball in their direction, but stopped. He stared dumfoundedly as he witnessed who exactly was riding in the beast's saddle. Not the two Water Tribe siblings. Not the lemur. The girl who looked exactly like Sing Lai.

Then it hit him.

The Avatar had her sister.

* * *

Well, that's enough for one day, don't ya think? The action scene was really (and I mean really) hard to write, to pick the exact words to match what I'm picturing in my mind. As Einstein said, "The right word compared to the almost right word is like comparing lightning with a lightning bug." _(yawn)_ Whew, I am tired. It's like 11:47 right now, and I have to get up at 5:00 in the morning. Not to mention the big day I have tomorrow, with the parent-teacher conferences and all…God, do I hate those things…I have to host it myself- all the 10-graders do in my school. Well, to make a long story short, I'm tired. So…I hope I can update soon, but I still have my website and costume plus like a million other things to do…so, uh, see you guys later…zzzzz…… 


	5. Chapter 5

Yay! I'm back, and with a new chappie to please all you crazy little Avatar-obsessed peoples! No real announcements today, except that the next chapter should be out soon considering that I have the rest of the week off! Whoo! This one was 10 pages! Normally, I make these things a little shorter, but I went on a bit of a tangent. Oh well. Here's the chapter…

* * *

We Are All One

They had made it safely away, and everyone leaned over and watched as the scene slowly drifted from sight. A forest was close by, and the bison flew towards the wooded area.

-------------------------------

Aang inspected Appa's underside, which still smelt of burnt hair and ash. He didn't look to have been seriously hurt, but he did moan a little when Aang rubbed a hand over the scorched area.

"Appa, buddy, you did it. And not too late, either."

The airbender sighed and looked back at his three traveling companions. "Guys, let's never do that again. That was way too close for my comfort."

The three all nodded their heads, and Aang slid down onto the cool ground of the forest. "Whew…" he breathed, rubbing his head. Then a thought occurred to him. "Hey, Katara," Aang said, standing up. "Think you can heal Appa?"

The waterbender hurried over to the upturned bison. "Sure." Pulling out the cork that sealed water in her waterskin, she drew it out and molded the clear liquid around one hand. Katara placed it on the bison's belly and breathed outward slowly. Sure enough, the blistering skin healed, and Appa let out a contented grunt.

"Lai Sing."

Everyone turned to the speaker.

Sokka put his hands on his hips. "Lai Sing…"

"Huh?" the girl met his intense gaze.

"What the heck happened back there? You were like-" Sokka started waving his hands around in the air, mimicking her "-I _feeeeel_ my sister! What was that?"

Lai Sing became uptight. She looked to the side, and mumbled, "What are you talking about?"

"Whadaya mean? 'What are you talking about?' You were talking mumbo-jumbo and saying that you feel your sister's presence, right when we were over Zuko's ship!"

Lai Sing looked quite sweaty. "I have no idea whatsoever what you're saying."

Sokka threw his hands up further into the air. "LAI SING! Why are you acting so freaking weird? There's something you're not telling us and we all know it!" He pointed an accusing finger at her. "If you're not gonna be honest with us, then why should we help you look for this 'lost sister' of yours?"

The girl's eyes were big and watery, threatening to leak tears. She quickly wiped a hand over her face as rivers began trickling down her cheeks.

Katara quickly strode over to Sokka and took him by the arm. "Sokka, can I speak to you for a sec?" she whispered under her breath. The would-be warrior was then dragged into the forest by his sister.

--------------------------------

Aang walked over to the little girl and sat down beside her. She sniffled and dabbed at her wet face with her sleeve. "I don't understand why he's picking on me. I didn't do anything wrong!"

The airbender put an arm around her shoulder, hoping that it would comfort her. He hated to see anyone like this. "Aw, Lai Sing, Sokka's just a little frustrated right now. He really hates when people aren't open and…uh, upfront with him. Don't take it personally."

She sniffed again.

"You know, when I first met Katara and Sokka, I went through the same thing."

This statement brought Lai Sing to look up at Aang.

"Katara and I made friends really quickly, but Sokka wasn't as quick to trust me. He was kinda hostile toward me, too. Sokka thought that I was Fire Nation, and so I had to gradually convince him that I wasn't some crazy lunatic waiting to burn down his village. And now, here we are!" Aang lifted his hands up, and then placed them back onto the mossy forest floor. "I'm sure if you give him time, he'll eventually warm up to you, too."

With that, the airbender patted Lai Sing on the shoulder and stood up, stretching. Aang then turned around, smiling slightly. "And if you want to get him to trust you sooner, just give him food." He added a little more onto his last statement, grinning.

"He _likes_ food."

---------------------------

Katara continued to drag her brother farther into the forest until they reached a large tree sporting emerald green leaves and surrounded by boulders. The she turned on him.

"Sokka, I have no idea what your problem is! Yelling at her like that! She has done _nothing_ to you!" Katara fumed. "I can't believe you would treat an innocent girl the way you just did! What has gotten into you?"

Sokka blinked. Rarely did his sister blow up so unexpectedly at him. "Katara, can't you see? Lai Sing's hiding something, and I want to know what!" He turned his face away from her and looked to the side. "How do we know we can trust her? All she ever says is 'My sister!' That doesn't prove anything as to whether we can really be friends with her."

Katara continued to glare at Sokka. He did have a point, but she also understood the meaning of 'personal privacy'. "I know that she isn't the most upright person in the world, Sokka, but I don't see any reason why we have to pry into her business. Whatever it is that she's not saying, I'm sure there's a good reason behind it. Lai Sing will tell us when she's ready."

With that, Katara headed back to where Aang and Lai Sing were.

Sokka rubbed his head, stumped at what just went on. Why was it that Katara always had a response to everything he ever said?

---------------------------------

"I can't believe it!" Zuko roared, slamming his fist down onto the desktop. "We lost him again!"

"Calm down, Prince Zuko," Iroh said, placing a hand upon the shoulder of his nephew, who collapsed onto the bench set up in front of his desk. Zuko seemed so upset…if there was only something he could do to cheer him up…

"Argh!" The prince's head landed on the table with a loud thud. Then came both his fists. "Why does this always happen? The Avatar is just a child, and not even my men can handle him!"

The general sighed. The best thing to do would be to leave the room and let the prince cool down by himself, so he removed his hand from Zuko's taut shoulder and made his way out into the hall.

With Iroh gone, Zuko got up and locked the door. He sat upon the edge of his bed, knees drawn upward, and head in hands. He squeezed his eyelids shut, for fear of the tears that always followed his frustration. One drop fell to the steel floor below him, and he shuddered. The pain of losing the Avatar, the one thing that would let him return home and reclaim the throne to his country, overwhelmed him. Several more tears dropped to the floor.

_You WILL learn respect. And suffering will be your teacher._

Every time Zuko lost the Avatar's trail, every time he managed to slip away, brought the horrid memories of the Fire duel back to mind. The hurt he suffered that day returned ever time he failed to fulfill his father's demand.

_Bring the Avatar to me, and the throne is yours. Lose the Avatar, and lose all._

The last words that Zuko's father whispered to him echoed through his mind every day after he had been exiled. A total of two years. At this rate, he would never return. The throne, his birthright, would be given to his cowardly excuse for a sister, Zula, or worse, Zhao.

The prince slowly stood up, and dragged himself back over to his desk, where the candles for meditation were pushed aside and maps placed out. No amount of moping would bring him the Avatar. But plotting his encounters and then predicting the Avatar's next chosen location to appear…that might…

-------------------------------

Appa had risen into the air with everyone aboard, and six hours had passed since the little feud had occurred. Sokka was sitting, cross-armed, at the very back of Appa's saddle, Aang driving, and Katara separating Lai Sing from her brother.

Lai Sing was gazing vacantly at the distant horizon, while Sokka watched her. He indeed felt bad for his outburst, but there was definitely something funny about the girl. He sighed.

"Hey, uh, Lai Sing?"

She looked rather discreetly from the other side of Katara. "Mm?"

Sokka rolled his head to the side and looked out of the corner of his eyes. "Well, uh…I'm sorry about what…happened back there. Ya know."

He got a small nod in response.

"Well, just so ya know. But I just really don't understand why you're hiding whatever you are from us. I mean, we don't bite or anything."

Katara looked ready to pounce on him for even mentioning it again, but Lai Sing looked calm.

The girl returned her gaze to the mountains. "I just really don't feel comfortable talking about it. It's a really long story, and I doubt you'd believe me if I told you. Plus I'm sworn to secrecy-" Sokka looked ready to say something. "-By my sister."

Sokka closed his mouth.

"That OK with you?"

The boy rolled his eyes. "…yeah. It's cool."

"Thank you for understanding!" Lai Sing threw herself and Sokka and clung to his neck happily. He pried her off and grabbed his ponytail, slightly flushed. "Sure. Just…don't do that again. Got it?"

"Deal!" Lai Sing grabbed his hand and shook it.

-------------------------------

"Uncle, get her out of my sight!" The prince roared. Sing Lai had repeatedly been popping up when he was trying to chart the most recent sightings of that blasted Avatar. Right now, Zuko would have thrown himself against the ship's steel railing and into the icy water below rather than put up with the little nuisance.

Iroh promptly poked his head around the corner. "Prince Zuko, maybe if you included her in your work, she might not appear so bothersome. Have you tried that?"

Zuko turned around on the bench he was sitting on to face his uncle. "No, I have NOT! And I don't intend to. She'll mess up my maps."

Sing Lai stuck her hands on her hips. "No I won't! See, watch!" She shot over to where the prince's maps were laid out, told Zuko to scoot over so that she could sit, and immediately began drawing what looked like random dots on the various papers.

Zuko quickly made to stop her. "No, don't!" It was far too late. Now the maps were sprinkled by the dimples made by Sing Lai's pen.

Iroh strolled over and peered at the markings curiously, hand to beard. "Oh, she's very good, Prince Zuko! Look!" He pointed to the coordinates that had been made on one sheet, and corresponded them to the map. A dot had been made precisely where the latitude and longitude lines crossed. He did another one. Another black dot had been drawn in the exact location. Zuko was at a loss for words.

"But-but how?" he asked, confused. "She didn't even _glance_ at that sheet!"

The general shrugged. "How should I know?"

Sing Lai continued to pour over the maps, still plotting what seemed to be random points. "I just know. I can't explain it."

Iroh and Zuko looked at eachother.

"There. Done." Sing Lai straightened up, pleased with her rapid work. She turned around, grinning. "Now. Who's up for some noodles?"

The retired general almost jumped into the air. "I would be most delighted to have some noodles with you!"

After the two left the room, Zuko glanced once more at the maps. He was no simpleton; he knew that no person could plot points so precise without even knowing the coordinates. If it had been one dot, maybe, but more than twenty? It was impossible to have gotten all of those correctly without some kind of assistance.

-------------------------------

A river quickly rose into view as Appa flew over the treetops. Aang pulled on the reins and the bison descended onto the bank.

"Whew!" the airbender exclaimed happily as he hopped off from his seat. He stretched with hands linked in the air, and turned around to face the other three travelers. "So, how you guys feeling?"

Sokka's legs were crossed as he waddled quickly into the woods, all the while shrieking, "Bathroom! Bathroom! Need a bathroom!"

After the shrill yelling had faded into the forest, Aang turned to Katara, grinning. "Guess he couldn't wait, huh?" he said, amused.

She smiled and shrugged her shoulders in return. "Guess not." She lowered her shoulders and a confused expression crossed her face. Aang was still smiling at her, his head tilted to the side. "Uh, Aang?"

"Hm?"

"Why are you staring at me?"

"Oh!" He snapped out of his stance and stopped smiling. "I just, uh, was thinking…nothing more!" He grinned hugely with large red splotches painted across his cheeks.

Katara was immediately aware of Aang's flushed face. What was going on with him anyway? Almost every time she looked in his direction, she caught him staring transfixed at her, as if he had just opened his eyes for the first time. Katara didn't mind the attention he was giving her, but the constant wide-eyed expression that she was faced with every time she talked to him was really starting to make her uncomfortable.

-----------------------------

It was later that night, when the sun finally set beyond the frosty horizon and left only the shadows of the day's activities. The four companions huddled around a small fire for warmth, Lai Sing clutching her blanket around her while Aang stroked the flames and the other two sat huddled up in their fur parkas. Appa was dozing nearby with Momo curled up on top of him.

The fire crackled and twin reflections flickered in Aang's eyes. He sat hunched over, watching the flames dance in the cold night air. He glanced over at Katara, who also was gazing into the fire, and she looked up to see him intently watching her. Aang quickly turned away, checks once again reddening. He hugged his knees and shivered.

"Are you cold?"

The airbender looked up at the waterbender. He sighed and replied, "Yeah. Sorta. This poncho doesn't keep me that warm." He motioned to his red and yellow clothes. Katara grabbed the blanket lying next to her and handed it to Aang, who accepted the cloth warmly. He wrapped it around himself, shivering.

"Still cold?"

"Kinda."

Katara crawled over to him and sat beside him, drawing an arm around his shoulders, hoping to warm him. Aang leaned against her and closed his eyes, sighing. "Thanks, Katara."

The girl smiled and hugged the young airbender closer. "No problem, Aang. That's what friends do." Aang smiled slightly and snuggled into her parka.

A snore erupted from the other side of the campfire, and the three friends looked over in curiosity. Sokka was lying sprawled on the cold ground, snorting happily in his sleep. He gurgled, and a stream of saliva trickled down his chin.

Katara turned to Aang. "I guess Appa's not the only one who drools." They laughed together, happy and at ease.

---------------------------

Sing Lai rolled over in her bed, unable to sleep. Dreams floated around in her mind, too scattered to make any sense, and too vivid to forget. She wiped a hand across her forehead, where beads of sweat had gathered. Her feet touched the cold metal floor beneath her bed, and she tiptoed out of her room and into the hall.

The girl quietly slinked to Zuko's room, where a faint light peeked out from underneath the steel door. She rapped her knuckles gently against the grey metal, and a crack made its way between the door and the wall. Zuko's face was visible through the space, and both eyes were underlined with purple. He was tired.

"Zuko?"

He sighed wearily and opened the door further. "What is it now?" He was bare-chested, wearing his dark green pants that he always used for bed.

Sing Lai wiggled her toes. "Can I stay in your room for a little while?"

"Why?"

"I can't sleep."

As cold and insensitive as Zuko tried to be, he felt sympathy for the little girl. Many a night he had lain in bed, unable to fall asleep, wishing that someone was there to keep him company until he drifted off into unconsciousness.

The tired prince motioned for her to come in, and she collapsed onto the edge of his bed. He sat beside her, rubbing his head tiredly.

"What's the problem?"

Sing Lai looked down at the floor. "I keep having dreams about…my sister. And they don't make any sense."

Zuko leaned back a little bit. "What kind of dreams?"

The girl continued to stare at the steel plates that made up the ship's bottom. "Ones where…I see bright flashes of light. One second my sister's there, the next, she's gone." She turned her blue eyes onto the prince's face. "Dreams like that."

Zuko didn't understand why this would bother the girl, but then again, he had never experienced anything like that. All his dreams contained the events during the Fire duel and the horrible sentence pronounced upon him. Ones that made him relive the past. He rubbed his bare shoulder.

"Do you have any clue why you're seeing light?"

Sing Lai stiffened. She glanced away from him and at the wall. "…no…"

Zuko's eyes narrowed. She was hiding something.

"What aren't you telling me?"

The girl quickly replied, "Nothing!"

The Fire prince was suspicious. She had answered that rather quickly. Too quickly.

He stood up. "I'll be back." Making his way to the door, he added, "I have to use the bathroom."

As soon as the teenager was gone, Sing Lai's eyebrows became knotted. He was onto her, and she was worried. She could never tell anyone, not anyone, what exactly had happened to prompt those dreams. What had happened a few years ago that had changed her life forever. The reason that she could never meet up with her sister when others were around. It was too risky.

-----------------------------

Zuko slowly walked back to his room, debating about whether or not he should waken his uncle and describe what happened concerning Sing Lai's nervousness when he asked about her dream content. It was never too late to rouse the old man. Especially in an emergency.

He opened the door and to his surprise found Sing Lai curled up into a ball in the middle of his bed. He rolled his eyes and snorted, slightly displeased that she had not decided to go back to her own room and crash there. He slid his arms around her and gently picked her up.

Sing Lai snuffed slightly and nestled against his chest. Zuko stared for a moment. He then gathered her a little more securely and proceeded to return her to her own room.

Once back in the girl's own quarters, the dark burgundy and white sheets were pulled aside and the girl was placed down. The prince drew the covers back up to her chin and left.

In his own room, Zuko collapsed into bed and threw the sheets over himself. His golden eyes vacantly traced the Fire Nation symbol etched onto one of the two tapestries that hung from the wall, and he remembered when he had been that age. His own father had tucked him in just like that, right after seeing his sister to bed. Sitting at the edge of the bed, watching his son fall asleep.

Zuko rolled over and looked at the vent in the ceiling, hands crossed over his chest. The eyebrow pulled downward as he tried to regain his composure, but sleep eventually won over and his eyes closed.

---------------------------

Lai Sing was having one of those dreams again.

"_No, don't do it!" a voice hollered in the distance. Lai Sing continued to walk up towards the golden sphere, transfixed. Darkness surrounded the glowing orb. _

_A huge explosion of light erupted from Lai Sing's fingertips as she gently touched the shimmering ball, and quickly spread everywhere at once. Lai's Sing's scream of sudden and unexpected shock and pain mingled with the lustrous white beams, and together formed a piercing shriek that wove upwards through the cosmos. Its shrill shriek sounded like the wailing of wind and it tore through the very essence of Lai Sing, whose throat began glowing with an awesome and intense light. She was lifted off of her feet, the rest of her body was pierced by the shimmering brightness, the light grew inside of her, exploding outward, and then all went black._

"Aaaaaggghhhh!" Lai Sing sat up, quickly, sweat pouring down her face. Her breathing was heavy, and she fought for control over her heart rate, which sky-rocketed. Her entire face was wet, and she felt incredibly hot despite the freezing cold surrounding her and the tiny campsite. Sokka was up and out of his sleeping bag in an instant, weapon in hand, and everyone else was wide-awake and looking ready for an attack.

Aang 's grey-brown eyes were wide with shock as he looked at the girl, whose panting was shallow and her face a ghostly white and red.

"Lai Sing, what the heck was that all about?" Sokka breathed. "You sounded like…" He paused for a second, then continued, at a loss for words. "-well, you sounded really scared! What happened?"

The girl's wide-eyed expression faltered. "I-I had a bad dream."

"Yah…about what?"

"My…my sister."

"Oh." Sokka deftly rubbed a hand over the back of his head. He had promised not to interfere with Lai Sing's 'sister' situation, but he felt that he should. Sokka rolled his eyes, settling with a "Want to talk about it?"

Lai Sing huddled up in her blanket, and nodded slightly. Sokka sat down next to her.

"But I don't really want to tell _them_ yet." She jerked her head toward Katara and Aang, who were standing up.

Sokka stood back up and raised his hands. "Sorry, guys, you're gonna have to excuse me and Lai Sing for a while. No offense or anything."

Aang shrugged his shoulders, grinning slightly. "None taken." He grabbed the waterbender's hand and started for the cold woods. "C'mon, Katara, we'll leave them for a while."

As the two benders strolled off in the direction of the dark forest, Sokka collapsed back onto the ground and looked at Lai Sing, who's gaze was directed toward the crackling fire. He sighed and leaned backward a little, waiting for the girl to start her story.

* * *

Muahahahahaha! Cliff-hanger! Aren't I so evil? Giggle…

The next one might be mostly the AxK infested chappie, if you guys want. If people want it, tell me in your reviews, and it'll be a Kataang festirama. (My own word for today!) Aang might reveal his feelings to Katara, then again, I could just hinder it a little, but make it romantic all the same… Its your decision!

Well, that's all, folks! Sorry, I always wanted to say that…hehe…cheerio!


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